Unions see long, tough fight ahead

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Half of all workers would be hurt by the Federal Government's
plan to push through radical industrial relations changes if it
wins control of the Senate, the ACTU secretary, Greg Combet, warned
last night.

Legislation to stop nurses, teachers, academics and youth
workers from taking strike action was ready and the Government
planned to stop protecting workers in small businesses from being
unfairly sacked, he said.

"Simply stated, if John Howard was to push through all of the
industrial relations reforms he's had up his sleeve for some time
working people will be worse off," Mr Combet said. "Those are the
most vulnerable, the lowest paid and those with least job security.
Why he wants to hurt them is beyond me."

The Coalition has been trying to push through changes to
workplaces and to weaken union power since it won power in 1996,
but the Senate has either blocked them or watered them down.

It wants changes to unfair dismissal laws - stopping workers in
businesses with less than 20 staff suing for being unfairly sacked
- greater flexibility in industrial awards and an exemption for
small business from the requirement imposed by the Australian
Industrial Relations Commission this year to make redundancy
payments.

The Government believes the changes would save businesses about
$1.3 billion a year and create up to 80,000 jobs.

But Mr Combet said half the workforce was employed by small
businesses and many were not union members.

"That's half of the workforce, the most vulnerable, and yet John
Howard wants to let employers dismiss those people willy-nilly and
[for them to] have no right to be protected," he said.

Mr Combet would not be drawn on whether the Government's
proposed changes would lead to widespread industrial action, saying
he would wait to see what legislation was put forward. He said he
would speak to Mr Howard after the new ministry was sworn in.

But the national secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining
and Energy Union, John Maitland, said he did not think the CFMEU
could work with the Government.

"Not because we don't want to. We will do so if the Government
is prepared to embrace its international obligations [and honour]
the conventions on freedom of association and the right to
collectively bargain," he said.

The Government had a track record of denying workers their
rights and the union would protect workers in any way it considered
legitimate, he said.

"After July 1 [when the Government could have a majority in the
Senate] we could have some very, very serious confrontations," Mr
Maitland said. "We're not going to lie down."

The Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and
Managers Australia warned yesterday that the skills crisis would be
exacerbated by further deregulation of the labour market.